Middleton, WI Short-Term Rentals: Taxes & Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Annual City STR License
- License fee
- $100.00 (Fee Schedule 10.10.61(1))
- Application must include
- Room tax registration information
- Additional fee
- Administrative Fee, set annually
- No license penalty
- Zoning violation under §10.10.60
Summary
Middleton requires every Short-Term Residential Rental to hold an annual zoning license before operating, and that license application must include room tax registration information under Municipal Code Section 10.03.28(26). The City's Fee Schedule sets a $100 Short-Term Rental License fee, and hosts must also pay an Administrative Fee the City sets each year to cover licensing costs.
Operating a Short-Term Residential Rental without a current version of a valid license shall be considered a violation of this Zoning Ordinance, and subject to the penalties of Section 10.10.60. ... a.Completed City of Middleton Short-Term Residential Rental Application, which includes the property owner's contact information; the designated operator's contact information; emergency contact information, the period of operation; and room tax registration information; ... g.Payment of an Administrative Fee, set annually by the City, to cover the costs to the City of administering the above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
06. Before a host can accept a single reservation, the property must carry a current Annual City of Middleton Short-Term Residential Rental License, renewed every calendar year. 10 applies to short-term lodging as well as hotels and motels. Applicants must also submit a floor plan and site plan showing on-site parking and trash storage, a City building code inspection report with no open compliance orders, proof of property and liability insurance, a copy of the State of Wisconsin Tourist Rental House License, a copy of the Public Health Madison Dane County Tourist Rooming House License, and payment of an Administrative Fee the City sets annually to cover its administrative costs. 00, on top of that administrative fee. 60.
Violations & Fines
Running a Short-Term Residential Rental in Middleton without a current Annual License, or without submitting the required room tax registration information as part of the license application, is a Zoning Ordinance violation enforced under Section 10.10.60's penalty schedule. The Zoning Administrator can also revoke the Short-Term Residential Rental License after more than two license or operational violations, immediately ending the host's legal right to rent, regardless of how far into the calendar year the license otherwise runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do short-term rentals in Middleton have to register for room tax?
How much does a Short-Term Residential Rental license cost in Middleton?
What happens if I operate a short-term rental without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middleton
How Middleton compares: Cities with the Highest Short-Term Rental Taxes·Compare Middleton to another location·View the Wisconsin short-term rentals overview
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